planet’ s warming to a fever through a variety of books, discussions, art projects, and inquiry-based experiences. For example,
› As we read Climate Change for Babies, by Chris Ferrie and Katherina Petrou, the children shared thoughts like,“ The temperature on Earth is getting warmer. Earth is sick.”
› During an art project, children painted two contrasting Earths: One in green and blue colors to represent a healthy planet; the other in reds, oranges, blacks, and grays to represent Earth with a fever. This visual contrast supported their understanding of rising temperatures and environmental distress.
› During a science activity, children placed ice cubes in bowls of water under different intensities of light sources and observed how quickly the ice melted. This allowed them to connect the warming of the Earth to the idea of a body heating up, or having a fever.
While the phrase“ Earth has a fever” helps convey the idea of climate change, it is not a scientific description. Rather, it is a metaphor. Early childhood educators may not typically think of teaching through metaphors, yet recent research shows that children as young as 3 can understand metaphors and use them as cognitive tools for learning and reasoning( Zhu & Gopnik 2023). Given that young children are still developing their vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, metaphors can provide accessible entry points for exploring topics like climate change. By framing complex scientific ideas through relatable, concrete images, phrases, and stories, educators can support children’ s emerging knowledge( Zhu & Gopnik 2023)
Healthy Earth Versus Sick Earth
When children learn to identify differences, such as distinguishing between types of plants and animals or comparing weather patterns across seasons, they build foundational scientific thinking abilities( NRC 2012). These enable them to make sense of the natural world, deepen their conceptual understandings, and enhance problem-solving skills. Reflecting on how and why things are distinct also fosters curiosity and metacognition, which is essential for environmental literacy and informed decision making( NRC 2012).
One example of identifying differences involved a card-sorting comparison game that I created. Using cards that depicted a variety of human activities, children had to decide if those actions contributed to a healthy( smiling) Earth or a sick( crying) Earth. During my observations of their play, I recorded comments such as
›“ The smoke from the building card should go to Earth with a sad face.”
›“ Pouring oil into the ocean and making fish sick must be placed on a sad Earth.”
›“ Pick up the trash is good for Earth and goes to a happy Earth.”
›“ Recycling and reusing bags is good for Earth and should be placed to a happy Earth.”
This comparative sorting activity allowed children to organize knowledge, categorize cause and effect, and draw connections between human actions and environmental outcomes. As the kindergartners compared attributes of a healthy Earth versus a sick Earth, they showed that they understood the differences between the two and could identify ways to care for the planet.
I also introduced storytelling and art activities to promote conceptual clarity and emotional engagement. Inspired by the book Planet Earth
80 Young Children
Winter 2025